Electrically operated engraving unit



April 14, 1959 c. PEARSON, JR- 2,881,521

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ENGRAVING UNIT Filed Nov. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Q I??? April 14, 1959 c. PEARSON, JR 2,831,521

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED EINGRAVING UNIT Filed Nov. 22, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 if I 51 n HWHHII Trf'lnlhh' HI HEHH United States Patent ELECTRICALLY OPERATED ENGRAVING UNIT Charles Pearson, Jr., Chicago, Ill.

Application November 22, 1955, Serial No. 548,400

1 Claim. (Cl. 33-25) This invention relates to an electrically operated engraving unit which may be interchangeably used for other purposes.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a device which may be used interchangeably as an engraving device or a marking device or as an embossing device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an electrically operated engraving device which is battery operated and which is inexpensive to manufacture and which may be operated by a child in perfect safety.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device which utilizes a pantograph which may be used interchangeably as an electrically operated engraver or as a marking device or as an embossing device.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses. 1 a

1 In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device with the engraving unit attached to the pantograph.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the means for holding the letters and the like which are to be copied.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the switch taken on lines 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view similar to that of Fig. 2 but showing the marking instrument attached to the pantograph.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a portion of the pantograph and the supporting member to which the engraving unit and the marking device is interchangeably connected.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the marking device attached.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the engraving device.

Fig. 10 is a side elevational view of the marking device.

The device shown comprises a base, generally indicated at 10, having a hollow interior. Permanently affixed to the base is an upright or post 12 which is positioned centrally along the rear end of the base. The post 12 has a pair of spaced upstanding ears 13 between which is fixedly secured a drum 14. Rotatably mounted on the drum is a cylinder 15 on which is secured block 16 having a flat top surface 17 and an inner concave surface to rest on the cylinder. A hearing disc 18 rests on the top of block 16 and the end of one of the bars of the pantograph, generally indicatedat 24, is secured to the rotatable cylinder 15 by a threaded bolt 19 which extends through the bearing disc 18 and block 16 and makes threaded engagement with cylinder 15. The pantograph may be thus swiveled or rocked to and from the base 10, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and may be manipulated horizontally as is well understood.

The pantograph 24 consists of four metal bars 26, 28, 30 and 32, movably connected together at four points 33, 34, 35 and 36. Each of the bars of the pantograph is provided with equally spaced openings 38 to reduce the weight of the bars. The connections at the four points of connection are effected by threaded bolts 40, best shown in Fig. 6. Each of the bars in transverse cross-section is I-shaped. The end of bar 26 of the pantograph is secured to the post 12 as previously described.

The bar 32 of the pantograph has secured thereto at the end thereof as at 42 a vertical support 44 which carries a threaded bolt 46 on one side thereof, and is provided with a slot 47 adjacent the bottom thereof.

The support 44 is constructed to interchangeably and detachably support either an electrically operated engraving unit, generally indicated at 48, or a holder, generally indicated at 49 which interchangeably supports either a marking device such as a ball point pen, generally indicated at 50, or an embossing member generally indicated at 51.

The engraving unit 48, best shown in Fig. 9, comprises a small electric motor 52 having a drive shaft 53 to which is secured the engraving tool 54. The motor housing has a pair of ears 55 to which is secured a plate 56 having cars 57 which are secured to the ears 55 by threaded bolts 58. The plate 56 has a pair of ofiset extensions 60 each provided with a slot 62. When the motor 52 is attached to the supporting member 44 the upper slot 62 is engaged by the bolt 46 and the lower slot 62 is alined with the slot 47 of the supporting member and secured thereto by a a bolt andnut 63, best shown in Fig. 8. The engraving -.blocks' of letters 74 in secured position.

numerals in the blocks 74are engraved therein. Afterunit may be readily attached to or detached from the support 44.

. The holder 49 for interchangeably supporting the marking device 50 or the embossing'member 51 is best shown in Figs. 8 and 10 and comprises .a bracket 64 having a vertical bore to receive the marking device or the embossing member. A threaded bolt 65 secures the marking instrument or embossing member in place. The bracket 64 has a lateral extension 66 and a vertical extension 67, which vertical extension is provided with a pair of opposed slots 68 at the ends thereof. These slots cooperate with the bolt 46 and the bolt and nut 63 to secure the holder 49 on the vertical support 44.

The bar 28 of the pantograph is in parallel alinement with bar 32 but is longer than bar 32. Secured to the end of bar 28 of the pantograph is a guiding member 69 which is secured to said bar by a threaded bolt passing through an opening in said bar and threadedly engaging the guide member 69. The guiding member has a point 70 and said guiding member is adapted to be held in the hand and to be moved over the work or object to be copied, thus operating the pantograph.

Secured to the front end of the base are three channel bars 72 (Figs. 1 and 3) which are detachably secured to the base by pins 73 on the underside of the bars cooperating with suitable openings in the base. The channel bars may be readily attached to or removed from the base 10. The channel bars are adapted to slidably receive letters or numerals 74 formed on blocks and said blocks are locked in said channel bars by locking members 75 which are also slidable in said channels but which have a raised portion 76 through which passes a screw 77. By tightening the screw the locking members are locked to the channel bars to keep the intermediate The letters or the letters are positioned in the channel bars 72 and locked in position the guiding member 69 of the pantograph is moved over the engraved letters with the point 70 moving in the engraved letters or numerals and the engraving unit 48 or the marking unit, whichever is used, will reproduce the letters or numerals on the Work sheet, as will be described.

Permanently secured to the base 12 is a strip 78 which extends transversely of the base and said strip has a raised lip 79 which serves to hold the lower edge of the Work material that may be inserted. Opposite to said strip is a movable retaining member generally indicated at 80 which comprises a longitudinal bar member 81 which rests on the base and slides with respect thereto. Said bar has permanently secured to it a rod 82 which extends rearwardly thereof and slidably passes through an opening in the post 12. A coil spring 84 surrounds the rod and has its opposite ends engaging the post 12 and bar member 81 to normally urge the bar member 81 in the direction of the stationary strip 78 and to retain between it and the strip the work piece W which may be a sheet of plastic material or other substance on which the copying is to be done. A finger grip member 85 is secured to the bar member 81 to manually move the bar rearwardly away from the work piece against the tension of the spring 84 when a work piece is inserted or removed.

To one side of the post 12 is a block 86 which is secured to the base 10. The block is provided with a plurality of spaced bores 87 and 88 which accommodate the marking member 50 and the embossing member 51 when not in use. The block 86 also has a transverse slot 89 and an opening 90 to accommodate the car 62 and the driving shaft 53 of the engraving unit 48 when said unit is stored away in non-use position. The slot 89 also will accommodate the ear 67 of the holder 49 when in stored position.

The engraving unit 48 is electrically operated by means of three dry cell batteries 91, 92 and 93 which are housed under the base. The engraving unit always being electrically connected so that it may be instantly operated by the closing of the switch generally indicated M94. The switch is mounted on the front panel of the base and comprises a slidable member 95 which is manually actuated and which carries the movable switch plate 96 as best shown in Fig. 4 to make contact with stationary switch plate 97. By closing the switch 94 the circuit to the motor 52 is closed to operate the engraving unit. By sliding the movable switch plate 96 in the opposite direction, the circuit is opened to stop rotation of the motor 52.

The circuit is obvious, but will be briefly described. The negative terminal of battery 91 is connected to the positive terminal of battery 92 by a conducting plate 98. The negative terminal of battery 92 is connected to the positive terminal of battery 93 by a conducting plate 99. Conducting wire 100 connects the negative terminal of battery 93 to the movable switch plate 96. Conducting wire 102 connects the stationary switch plate 97 to the motor 52. Conducting wire 104 connects the motor 52 to the positive terminal of battery 91. Portions of conducting wires 102 and 104 which are connected to the motor are visible above the base with the balance of the conducting wires hidden below the base. These conducting wires are substantially loose so as not to interfere with the movement of the pantograph. Likewise the motor may be removed from the pantograph and stored on the block 86 without detachment of any of the conducting wires, thus the engraving unit is always electrically connected and is ready for operation merely by closing switch 94.

When the device is used as an engraving device the engraving unit 48 is supported on the support plate 44 and the switch 94 is closed to operate the engraving unit.

The guide member 69 is manually moved over the letters or numerals 74 to be copied and the engraving tool 54 Will be rotated and will simultaneously move over the work sheet W to reproduce same, half the size of the material copied. The three letter holding channels 72 permit not only words but also signs of numerous words to be reproduced. The pantograph may be lifted or tilted towards and away from the work sheet thus lifting the engraving unit.

If instead of engraving, it is desired to use the marking instrument 50 or the embossing member 51, the engraving unit is removed from the support 44 and placed in its holder on the block 86 and the holder 49 is attached to the support 44 to accommodate either the marking or embossing tool. Even While the engraving unit 48 is removed from the support 44 the engraving unit is still electrically connected so that it may be readily placed in operation when desired. The marking device or the embossing tool is moved by the pantograph in the same manner as the engraving unit is moved except that it does not require any electrical operation.

If desired the channel bars 72 may be removed and the space on the base 10 may be used to support a sheet of material 106 such as a drawing to be copied, which may be secured by Scotch tape or the like as shown in Fig. 6.

The device may be used interchangeably with equal facility as an electrically operated engraving unit and also as a marking or embossing unit and will provide a useful product as well as one which may be used by children without danger or injury and provide educational as well as play value.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

In a device of the character described comprising a base, a pantograph, means connecting said pantograph to said base to permit raising of said pantograph with respect to said base, said pantograph having a vertically extending supporting member extending between said pantograph and said base, said supporting member having an anchoring member and a slotted portion, an electrically operated engraving unit having a vertical extension provided with an upper and lower slot to engage with said anchoring member and to align with said slotted portion respectively, fastening means received in said lower slot and said slotted portion for detachably securing said engraving unit to said supporting member, a hand held guide member secured to said pantograph to guide same, means supported on said base for holding the material to be worked on, said means including a stationary member and a movable member with said movable member being under spring tension to urge same in the direction of said stationary member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,067,962 Zwick Jan. 19, 1937 2,240,825 Alexander May 6, 1941 2,565,821 Makishima Aug. 28, 1951 2,583,653 Keczeli Jan. 29, 1952 2,627,658 Green -1 Feb. 10, 1953 2,713,289 Zwick July 19, 1955 2,729,892 Gruettner Jan. 10, 1956 

